Minnehaha Falls: Minnehaha City Park

Something about Summer finally hitting must have alerted the children to be extra wild. The longest day of the year was certainly the longest day of my life. Theo caught a virus which led to very little sleep. I was on high alert for an ear infection or additional symptoms. I knew it was bad when he actually let me snuggle him in the rocking chair and he didn’t try to wiggle out of it. There were a couple nights where we lived hour by hour. Fortunately and unfortunately, it’s been chalked up to be a virus that just needs to run it’s course.

And Mac was, well, an antsy, exhausted four year old pushing every boundary while making horrible squawking and old man noises. Maybe there was a lack of focus on him. Perhaps he just wanted to be tended to as well. Either way, the balance had shifted with the sick baby so our entire week was thrown off-kilter. As an added bonus, Once Michael finished work in the wee hours of Thursday, we’d have an entire week with him. Every one, and I mean everyone, was looking forward to that. The patience ran thin.

Thursday we had our ice cream social, just the four of us. It was rainy and quiet. It was actually more of a mixed episode than anything. Angst filled everybody, but we tried terribly hard to enjoy ourselves. I believe we succeeded in the end. Some days are just all about the effort. Then off to work for me Friday and Saturday morning, completed with a farmer’s market to sell at on Sunday.

It feels like our weeks are moving so much faster than they once did. We keep very busy, because the summer sun really stagnates everything. Monday was definitely a day to look forward to. Not only was this Monday, our Saturday, but Michael was home AND it was our anniversary. This couple knows how to party. We cleaned the house together, lazed in the bedroom during nap time, and discussed who to pawn the wild children off on. It was too much work to conjure up pick up and drop off plans so we ended up keeping them under the condition that they were well behaved.

We ended up just buckling the boys in the car and hitting the road. Car seats were probably invented by a mom who just didn’t want to be touched anymore. The safety feature was an added bonus and promising selling point. Off we went to a space of many memories, Minnehaha Falls. It’s a place that must hold so many memories for Twin Cities residents.

When I first moved out of my parents, I lived off of 42nd & 42nd in a friend’s basement for $300. There wasn’t much to do while making such little cash and I sort of happened upon caring for a little pitbull named Diamond. It was a very weird part of both our lives. We would take walk after walk here. A few years later, Michael and I would live off of Cedar & 42nd and find ourselves on this side walking our two dogs. There was also a time when Michael signed us up for a 5k which was actually a 10k. It was a rainy, cold April morning and I was 20 weeks pregnant. I still think our Dachshunds had a harder time completing the distance than I.

“Strawberry plants” per Mac, but I think I’ve narrowed them down to being Tall Thimbleweeds.

Fast forward back to Monday. We’re enjoying some gorgeous weather and hiking away. Theo is strapped in with the Ergo and really loving the back carry. I will say it again and again, Mac is really getting into this trail guide business. He’s constantly intrigued by rocks and plants and animals we might see. He’s almost a little too zealous as he runs around the edge of the creek’s rushing water. Mama’s gonna have a heart attack, but not until after I jump in after him, ya know?

I highly recommend Minnehaha. It really has everything you’d want in a park. There are two playgrounds, bike and walking trails, scenic ventures, a dog park, and even Sea Salt Eatery all within a South Minneapolis corner. It’s hard to go wrong really. It doesn’t hurt to take a day off and wander around. If you end up hating it, you can blame me and call me a liar.

*When estimating gas mileage, we have a good 15 mpg range in our Jeep Liberty, so chances are it costs much less for you per gallon. Sometimes having no car payments means putting up with a terrible mpg. All prices are adjusted based on current gas prices.